Dear Sean Avery

Guest Author - Kevin Thorburn

I applaud the National Hockey League for making one of the best decisions they have made in a very long time – suspending you indefinitely.

For those who may have missed your latest show of idiocy, Mr. Avery referred to his ex-girlfriends as “sloppy seconds.” Calgary Flames defenseman Dion Phaneuf is currently dating actress Elisha Cuthbert, who also dated Avery in the past. This comment was made before the Dallas Stars played the Calgary Flames. Making derogatory comments about any female should not be acceptable and I’m glad to see that it isn’t in this case.

Watching the video, you clearly believed this to be a clever remark, trying hard not to smile as you handed the media this display of wit. In my mind, only somebody with the same intelligence as a peanut could consider this amusing. Every time you open your mouth nothing but garbage spills out and it is amazingly refreshing to see the NHL has had enough of it – enough of you.

You are about nobody but yourself. What a wonderful message that is to convey to our youth. Your teammates are fed up with your antics; the rest of the league can’t stand you; and now the league has had enough. All this and I am willing to bet you are proud of these accomplishments.

Of the big sports, hockey has always had the most class and you are single handedly toppling this respect. You behave cowardly on the ice and you continue this off the ice and whether you, or any other player, likes it or not - you are a role model. This is not the behaviour the public needs to see coming from the game’s representatives – even a marginal player such as yourself who has to behave this badly to warrant any press coverage.

I would love to tell you it is time to step up and act like a man and change your despicable ways, but you have already been given countless chances and do not have the sense to see that you are nothing but the lowest denominator. I have seen some people comment that using offensive names such as this does not warrant suspension, but the fact is that everyone from your team’s own players and management to the league have tried to give you advice and chances, but you simply thumb your nose and carry on behaving like the class clown who ends up, at best, alone and in the gutter.

Being a distraction to the star players on opposing teams is one thing, but being an embarrassment to the game and to people in general cannot be tolerated. For once, Gary Bettman, I commend you.